


Quand Elle Avoue

by ouijadarling



Series: To Love In Secret [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Needs a Hug, Akuma Attack, Akuma Battle, F/M, Fluff, Humor, LadyNoir - Freeform, Light Angst, Lila Rossi Being a Jerk, Lila Rossi Lies, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug Has a Crush on Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Reveal Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Romance, post-reveal pre relationship, slowburn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:49:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28635777
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ouijadarling/pseuds/ouijadarling
Summary: Marinette has been planning to confess to Adrien for so long, she never thought the day would come. But when it comes, it goes badly wrong. Before, she was so head-over-heels for Adrien, that when she realizes(with the help of Chat Noir) that no one is perfect, she starts to realize that the boy she needs isn't the one she's been chasing for so long. But as fate would have it, Adrien realizes that Marinette is a lot more interesting than he ever noticed before...will Marinette tell her Chaton that she loves him before it's too late?(This is première partie d'une série. each fic in the series, or chapter, operates as its own little story, so feel free to stop reading at any time! Will update consistently, one chapter per week on Fridays, or earlier if I finish before then.)
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: To Love In Secret [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2098515
Comments: 8
Kudos: 32





	Quand Elle Avoue

**Author's Note:**

> This is my second-yet fic of Miraculous Ladybug, and my first fic was met with....mixed reviews. Mostly harsh criticism, but damned if I didn't take it to heart and try to write an even better fanfiction for you all. I hope you enjoy this one, and please remember that I am only human and sometimes I make mistakes, so if you hate it, tell me, but be clear about what you hate. I'll still reply:)  
> -This is a Kagami hate account. I make no bones about the fact that I strongly dislike her for many reasons.  
> -Also, I cannot STAND Lila, and I plan to give her exactly what she deserves. If you don't like it, don't read it. (Sorry about that, though)  
> As I stated in the summary, this is a multiple-chapter fic, but each chapter is a standalone story, so if you feel like this chapter is a satisfactory ministory, you don't need to feel obligated to read the next chapters. I won't be hurt.

_“Marinette...I know your secret….”_

Marinette woke up with a start and peeked over the edge of the bed. Adrian popped up, but his eyes were all wrong, and his head was tilted too far to the side. “Guess what, Marinette?”

“Aah!” Marinette whapped the not-Adrien with a pillow. “Get away from me!” She leapt out of bed, slamming the trapdoor down on him, and darted up the stairs to the rooftop. The door slammed shut behind her, but she wasn’t satisfied. Dragging over a deck chair, she turned it sideways against the door to hold it shut and bar the jamb. 

“There you are.” 

Marinette turned her head slowly and let out a small scream. 

“You don’t want me here, milady? I’m hurt.” Chat Noir extended his hand, a rose lying in his palm. “This is for you.”

“I-I don’t want it!” Marinette backed away. _How does he know my civilian identity?_ “I’m in love with-” 

“Marinette, I know who you are….”

The fake Adrien must have found his way onto the rooftop. She whirled around, but he wasn’t there. Hands covered her eyes, and a soft voice whispered in her ear. “Just give me your Miraculous, and I can make everything go back to the way it was.”

She yanked away and froze. It wasn’t Chat Noir. His hair was white, his eyes wide and icy blue. “Chat...Blanc?”

“I thought I’d lost you, milady.” He reached out to take her hand, and she glued it firmly to her side. “What’s wrong?”  
“I’m not….” Marinette looked down at her pajamas. When had she changed into Ladybug? “How did you get here?”  
“You’re not happy to see me?” His blue eyes shuttered. “I love only you. You know that.”

“Go away,” Marinette said. “Please.” _Why can’t I wake up? Or is this no dream, and I really am experiencing this?_ She backed away, up to the edge of the roof. Paris stretched out below, ready for her to fall into. Only she didn’t want to fall, because if this wasn’t a dream, she would be seriously injured. 

His expression turned bitter, his mouth twisted into a snarl--“Give me a hug, _Marinette!”_

She took a step backwards, panicked--her foot met only air. Marinette screamed and fell, down, down, down.

It was almost worse at school. She and Adrien had gotten closer, but after last month’s fiasco at the wax museum, it seemed as though all her hard work had been swept away. Alya slid into the seat next to her and nudged her shoulder. “What’s up, girl? You look tired.”

Marinette nodded and smiled weakly. “Yeah...I had a _really_ bad dream.”

“It could be worse,” Alya said cheerfully. “Imagine if it was true!”

Marinette groaned inwardly. _But, it kind of....was true._ Especially the part about Chat Blanc...that had definitely happened, and only days ago. She still wasn’t fully over it, mostly because Bunnix had never even told her what had triggered the change. So for all she knew, even thinking about it for too long might have some effect on Chat Noir. But that wasn’t the only thing that she had to worry about. Just on cue, Adrien slid into the seat in front of her, and class commenced, with Marinette gazing dreamily at the back of his beautiful blond head and paying no attention to the lesson itself.

In the third hour, though, was when the problems really began. Mme Bustier was reading a story and the students were to analyze it, but Marinette wasn’t listening. Only when Mme Bustier said a sentence that ended in _chat_ did Marinette’s head snap up. Chat Noir?--but no, that couldn’t be right. Surely she had misheard.The other students were giggling at Marinette’s sudden jolt upwards, and her face burned. She sank down in her seat while Alya patted her shoulder sympathetically. 

After school let out, Marinette joined Alya, Nino, and Adrien on the front steps of the college, where her three friends were talking about a possible party that they might be attending. Marinette perked up hopefully, but then her heart sank. It was tonight--there was no way. Something was bound to happen, or someone would get Akumatized, and as Ladybug, she needed to be on night patrol to watch out for it.

To her surprise, though, Adrien was also looking uncomfortable. “I don’t know if I can make it, though.” Marinette leaned forward slightly--if he was going to be home, maybe she could swing by his window as Ladybug. “My father wants me to remain at home, because we’re going to have a family meal.” Marinette wilted, disappointed. There was no way he’d be in his room, then.

“Dude, just tell him you’re going to the library with friends,” Nino said. “He won’t argue with that.”

“You know how he is,” Adrien replied. “He’s very...protective. I don’t think it’ll work out. Sorry.”

“I can’t go either!” Marinette blurted out. “Maybe I can...ummm-” She racked her brains for an excuse, now that the three others were all looking at her- “Bring you some macarons! I can stop by your house to drop them off, so you and your father can have something sweet after your meal!” She cut off abruptly in case she began to stutter, like she always did around the object of her affection. 

“I love macarons,” Adrien said with a smile, and butterflies flapped euphorically in her stomach. “But my father won’t allow guests, even if you are just dropping them off. Thank you for suggesting it, though. I’ll see you guys tomorrow?” He waved, and Marinette waved back automatically, like a puppet on a string, although it felt like all those strings had been cut. Not even her macarons could save her relationship with Adrien--even if it hadn’t happened yet. 

Alya and Nino split up with Marinette to head to Nino’s house, because Alya had promised to tutor him in chemistry. Marinette shot her an agonized plea with her eyes--Alya had also promised Marinette that she would help her concoct a grand scheme to confess her feelings for Adrien. 

“Sorry, girl,” Alya said anyway. “I promise I’ll call you later, okay? Bye!”

“Bye,” Marinette said weakly, before she started what seemed like the longest walk home of her life. Adrien would never love her back, not if fate kept interfering like this!

“Is something wrong, milady?” Chat Noir was perched on the rooftop next to her, looking expectantly in her direction. Ladybug sighed. 

“Everything’s fine...kind of.” Except it really wasn’t. She had swung by Adrien’s window, in the hopes that he might have been there even if he _was_ attending a family dinner, and all the lights had been turned off, the entire house dark and silent. He hadn’t even been at home! 

“Maybe I can help,” Chat Noir suggested. “You can always tell me.” 

Ladybug smiled. “Thanks, Chaton, but it’s just boy problems. And you definitely can’t help with this one.”

Chat Noir’s mouth popped open in mock surprise. “That’s not fair! I thought you could always count on me, even if you are talking about my rivals. We’re a team, right?”

“Always,” Ladybug said. “But I don’t want to hurt you by talking about my life outside of saving Paris.”

He was quiet for a minute or two, before nodding. “You’re right. But milady, I’ve chased you long enough to realize that you could never hurt me. So you can tell me what’s wrong.”

Ladybug stared down at the city below them, at the lights turning off and the streets illuminated in pale golden glows as the streetlamps turned on. “I’ve loved this boy for so long, and it seems unlikely he’ll ever notice me as more than a friend. I keep trying to get close to him, only for him to back away.”

“I could say the same thing,” Chat Noir said. “But I don't understand why he wouldn’t notice you. You’re strong and powerful, and you never let anything stop you from your destiny.”

“That’s the thing.” Ladybug propped her chin in her palm. “I’m so painfully awkward around him, I can barely hold a conversation, much less get a single sentence out.”

“That sounds like someone I know,” Chat Noir said. “What if you pretended you were talking to me? You have no problem talking with me, right?”

“It could work.” Ladybug pondered it. A conversation with Adrien, but if it were Chat Noir, she just might be able to tell him how she really felt. This weekend would be the perfect time to do it. “I think it really could.”

“Why don’t you wait for a celebration of some sort, and try it then? There’s no way it could go wrong,” Chat Noir said.

“That’s perfect, kitty!” Adrien’s birthday was next weekend. She’d do it then, or she never would. 

“I’m glad I could help, milady.” Chat Noir grinned. “What about a thank-you kiss?”

“Not a chance, Chaton.”

It was the next day, and they’d once again defeated Monsieur Pigeon earlier that afternoon and were now completing their nightly sweep of the city. Hawk Moth had been much less active recently, but Ladybug wasn’t complaining. She was glad of the break from the constant fighting akumatized villains and repairs of Paris.

“Milady, can I ask you something?” Chat Noir called out. He leapt down from the window above her and crouched on the sill next to her. 

“What is it?” Ladybug asked.

“Can you tell me how I can be a better partner to you?” 

Ladybug didn’t speak for a moment, surprised. A better partner? “You already are a good partner.”

“But what if I wanted to do more?” Chat Noir asked. 

“You do enough already.”

“Fine, then.” He thought for a minute. “Tell me what you like about that boy of yours.”

Ladybug was startled. “Why?”

“If you like him that much, he must have something I don’t.”

“Chaton, are you jealous?”

“No.” His stiff back said otherwise.   
Ladybug nudged his shoulder with hers. “Don’t be upset. I’ll tell you if you’ll stop acting that way.”

Chat Noir’s smile returned, full bright. “You got it.”

“He’s just...perfect.” Ladybug gazed up at the sky. “I can’t really think of anything in specific. There’s so much to love about him. He’s kind, a good friend, and so understanding.”

“I’m all of those things,” Chat Noir muttered. “And better, too.”

“But you’re far wilder than he is,” Ladybug defended. “He isn’t the type to move fast and fight like you do. And he definitely wouldn’t make jokes at the wrong time, or ever mention his feelings the way you do. You put your feelings out there, and you push them onto me.”

“So do you. Can you blame me? I didn’t exactly have a normal childhood,” Chat Noir told her. “I never got the chance to be as honest as I can with you. Out here I can say and do what I mean.”

“I don’t force my emotions onto you!” Ladybug stood up, annoyed. “We’re partners, and we do everything for each other, right? I would never do anything to hurt you!”

“Then why am I the one that has to push my feelings for you down?”

“Because I don’t feel the same way, Chaton!”

“You’re the one that said I should pursue what I want when we first met,” Chat Noir shot back.

“I didn’t know it meant my heart!”

“So you admit it? You know I lo-”

“Don’t even think about finishing that sentence.” Ladybug slammed her hand over his mouth and held it there. “I’m going to take my hand off your mouth, and I’m going to leave. Fine?”

“Fine!”

She stormed away, more irritated than ever. As Marinette, she rarely got upset or sad, but when she was with Chat Noir, he made her feel all those things and more, and in such quick succession it was hard to keep up with. If only she didn’t feel this bad about him….

“Versailles,” Mme Bustier intoned, waving a long arm with practiced elegance. “Culture! History! Architecture!” The class sat up straighter in their seats and at the shuffle, Marinette jerked from her half-doze. She was so tired...up half the night fighting Akumatized villains, plus homework left her almost no time for sleep. 

“The school is funding this trip,” the red-headed professor droned on, “So I trust all of you will be in attendance.” She paused as Chloe’s hand waved wildly. “Oui, Mademoiselle Bourgeois?”

“Do we, like, _have_ to go?” Chloe huffed. “I feel like my time would be better spent learning about _real_ culture.” She doffed her hat, which just that morning she had loudly announced to all and sundry had cost ‘ _upwards of 500 francs!’_ and picked at her perfectly polished nails, sighing. A wrinkle formed on Mme Bustier’s brow. “And what culture would that be, Chloe?”

“Shopping, obviously,” Chloe sneered. She stared at the teacher’s wrinkled pantsuit. “I guess you wouldn’t know, though.”

Mme Bustier blushed bright red, and Alya pinched Marinette’s arm. “That bitch,” she hissed. “She shouldn’t be allowed to talk like that to an adult.”

“I know,” Marinette agreed wearily. “But who would dare to insult _Chlllllloe Bourgeois_?” she asked, mimicking the affected drawl that was Chloe’s voice. Hearing her name, Chloe turned to glare, and both of them hid their smirks as Mme Bustier continued to speak. 

“Are you guys going?” Nino asked, twisting around in his seat.

Marinette pursed her lips. A day out with her friends, no worries, no cares, at one of the most beautiful sights of Paris? It _did_ sound fun, never mind that she’d been a few times before. 

“Maybe…”

After class Adrien caught up with her and Alya. “Marinette, did you ever make up your mind about the trip?”

“I’m still thinking about it.” What if something happened during the trip and she couldn’t get away to help Chat Noir? 

“You should come,” Adrien urged. “It’ll be more fun with you there.”

“Okay.” Marinette blushed--Adrien had complimented her!--and smiled. “Only if I get to sit with you on the bus.”

Alya nudged her and hissed “Girl!” in her ear when Adrien laughed.

“Sure. You know, Marinette, you’re a lot cooler than I realized. Maybe I should spend more time with you. See you tomorrow?” 

She grinned. “Of course.”

A week later, she regretted it. 

“None of you look at me! You don’t--you don’t _care!_ ” She watched in horror as the shrieking American, white with blonde curls, thrust her hands out at her friends, who looked on with unsympathetic smirks. “I shouldn’t have come with you,” she sobbed. 

A single black butterfly fluttered in through the Hall of Mirrors, over the heads of the thronging crowds, and settled daintily on the faux diamond bracelet clasped around her wrist. Her face contorted in a snarl, and a second later, black foam bubbled up around her entire body, encasing her in magic. 

“Hawk Moth,” Alya gasped. Her phone was already out, recording this. It traveled in a wide panorama around the hall, the crowds of gasping people scattered, backing away. Across the walls and ceilings, paneled in a priceless picture of glass and diamond and gold. Louis, le Roi de Soleil. The Sun King’s Hall of Mirrors. 

“Ladybug, where are you,” Rose whimpered. Juleka clasped her shoulder as the petite pink-clad girl bit her nails in fear.

The black cloud dissipated, and for one second, there was perfect silence. 

Her blonde hair had turned icy gray, and her entire body was clothed in sharp shards of shimmering glass. 

“I am Mirror Me,” she snarled. “And now--now you’ll _all_ have to look at me!” It was true--it was nearly impossible to tear the eye away from her. She seemed to be drinking in all the light, hundreds of beams fracturing and reflecting towards her, and the Hall of Mirrors grew darker, closer. 

The akumatized girl only shone brighter, baring her teeth in a victorious grin. “That’s better. Now, where are Ladybug and Chat Noir? I want their Miraculouses! Now!”

“Run!” someone screamed, and then the hall dissolved into chaos as Marinette’s classmates pounded towards the exit. 

“Walk quickly and quietly!” Mme Bustier called, but no one was listening to her. The teacher dashed after the first group of students, and Marinette and Alya were caught in the crush of stampeding students and tourists as they were pushed towards the exit. Alya’s hand was wrenched from her grip as her friend was swept away by the crowd. 

“Marinette!” Alya yelled.

“It’s okay!” Marinette jumped above the crowd to see her friend being pushed out the door. “I’ll find you outside!” _After I defeat this villain,_ she added silently. 

Mirror Me was sucking in the lights from all the mirrors, the hall almost pitch-black now, yet she glowed like a spotlight, illuminating the surrounding area brightly. Her so-called ‘friends’ were in a shaking huddle, cowering and sobbing against one of the mirrors as she stalked towards them. Marinette dove out of the hall and ducked behind a pillar. Tikki flew out of her bag and hovered next to her ear. 

“Just say the word, Marinette.”

“Tikki, spots on!” 

_Flash!_

This time, Ladybug wasn’t responsible for the huge burst of light that accompanied her transformation--this had come from inside the Hall of Mirrors. 

She reentered the hall and unhooked the yo-yo from around her waist. Chat Noir was nowhere to be seen, but she had confidence he would come soon. That is, if he wasn’t still angry with her. The villain was flashing so brightly it was hard to keep her eyes on Mirror Me, lest she be blinded by looking at her too directly. 

“Are you going to apologize?” Mirror Me snapped. “I don’t think it’s nice of you to just collapse and cry all over me. Say you’re sorry!” She snapped her fingers, and a light popped in the girl closest to her’s eyes, causing her to clutch her face and scream in pain. 

“I can’t see! Help me!”

Her friends scuttled away, like the blinded girl was contagious, trying to make the Akumatized girl see reason. “We’re really, really sorry, Lily! Please just stop!” a girl with long red hair and an expensive top pleaded.

“Not sorry enough!” Mirror Me snarled. “You made me do everything for you just to be accepted, and the second I wasn’t useful anymore, you treated me like trash! I want you to know how it feels to be in the dark!” The mirrors on her outfit cracked and shattered, glass raining down and shards skidding across the floor. “Get ready to suffer.”

“Mirror Me!” Ladybug yelled. The villain turned towards her and grinned.

“Ladybug, how awesome! Now I don’t need to chase you down to get your Miraculous.” She lunged for Ladybug, who dodged the girl easily. 

“You’re going to need to be faster if you want my Miraculous,” Ladybug said. She hooked her yo-yo around the girl’s wrist and pulled, dragging Mirror Me towards her. “Let those girls leave.”

“No!” Mirror Me snapped. “Not until I teach them how bad it feels to not know why your friends no longer like you! They deserve it, too!”

“I would agree with you, except blinding them is a little too far,” Ladybug said. “Let them leave. There doesn’t need to be any more damage today.”

Mirror Me growled and ripped the yo-yo’s string off her arm. “Don’t tell me what to do!” She snapped her fingers, and a flare went off in front of Ladybug, making the world around her too bright to handle for a moment. When it dissipated, blue spots danced in Ladybug’s vision, and Mirror Me was nowhere to be seen. Then she felt pressure on her earlobes--the villain had snuck up behind her and was trying to rip off her earrings. Ladybug swung her ankle backwards and hooked it around Mirror Me’s leg, knocking her off balance. With another quick kick, the villain was sent flying across the room and smashed into a mirror. Ladybug winced--she hadn’t meant to hit that hard. 

“Ugh!” Mirror Me stumbled to her feet. “You’re even worse than them!”

“Now, I think it’s time you did a little self-reflection!” A familiar voice sounded in the Hall of Mirrors, and Ladybug grinned. Chat Noir sped past her, yelling “Cataclysm!” and clasped the girl’s wrist tightly. Mirror Me struggled, but her bracelet turned gray in his grip and crumbled. The Akuma fluttered out and hovered near the ceiling. 

“Sorry it took me so long to get here, milady.” Chat Noir turned towards her with an apologetic expression. “I was stuck in traffic. Or I should say, scared people escaping Versailles; and I had to make sure everyone was okay.”

Ladybug nodded. “Thank you for coming to help me, Chaton. I don’t think I could’ve beaten her without your help.”

“What are partners for?” Chat Noir shrugged. “Now, I think you’d better capture that Akuma. We’ve had enough mayhem for one day.”

“I think we have,” Ladybug agreed. She swung out her yo-yo and the Akuma fluttered into the net to be de-evilized. The Hall of Mirrors was a wreck, mirror shards smashed everywhere and littering the floor in small shining pieces. Mirror Me was collapsed on the floor in the fetal position, hugging her knees to her chest and sobbing. Ladybug approached her gently. “Are you okay?”

The girl sat up and nodded limply, her white-blond curls plastered to her face from her tears. “What happened?”

“Lily!” The red-haired girl ran to her and dropped to her knees. “I’m so sorry.” The two other girls, along with the one that the akumatized villain had blinded, simply stood in their earlier huddle and glared venomously at their friend, now hugging the sobbing girl.

It was time to fix everything, Ladybug thought. Not every friendship could be repaired, but at least one thing could be salvaged. 

“Miraculous Ladybug!”

“Milady, what am I to you?” Chat Noir asked. The class trip was long ended, Versailles restored to its former self with Ladybug’s lucky charm. Her Chaton had been following her silently, a shadow running through Paris alongside her, but now he was upside down, his tail wrapped around an awning pole over a _patisserie,_ his face upside down just in front of her. 

Clearly, their argument from a few days earlier had faded, the sting lessened. But to Ladybug, her heart still ached when she thought of how Chat Noir had been about to say precisely what she didn’t want to hear, for fear he would replace Adrien in her heart. It was too easy for Marinette to love, and as Ladybug, she didn’t want it to interfere with her destiny. But... _what am I to you? Everything, Chaton. You know that and so do I._

“M-my partner,” Ladybug answered, flustered. Why was he asking her that question, now of all times? “You know that.”

“But what if I want to be more than just your friend? I know we had a disagreement the other day, but I’m willing to put this behind us. Because I’m the perfect gentleman.” To illustrate this, he jumped down from the patisserie, executing a perfect flip onto the ground, his tail uncurling. He then swept a courtly bow in her direction, and flashed a dazzling smile. 

Ladybug hid her face behind her hand. “D-don’t do that. I’ll get condoned--composed--confused--I mean-”

“It’s okay,” Chat Noir said. “I get it. And don’t worry. After tonight, I won’t bother you anymore. There’s a girl I like, anyway. I realized that maybe I should have given her a fair chance, instead of chasing you all the time.” He patted her shoulder and stood up. “Time to exercise my catlike reflexes and stop those criminal birds from landing on that telephone line.” He darted up the side of the building, sending up a flock of startled pigeons, while Ladybug’s heart sank into her stomach, much to her surprise. Another girl? Was it perhaps Kagami? But that didn’t make any sense. Chat Noir was in love with her, or so he had said as much, many times. _He’s allowed to not love you,_ she scolded herself. So why did it feel so bad?

Just before she left, as dawn painted the sky in shades of gray and lavender and pink, Chat Noir called out “Milady!”

She turned, letting the rope drop to her side. “What?”

“I can’t patrol with you tomorrow night,” Chat Noir told her. “I have other arrangements.”

“I’ll be fine on my own.” Ladybug flashed him a smile, but her mind was whirling. She also had plans for tomorrow night--Adrien’s birthday party. She could just leave right after she told Adrien how she felt, become Ladybug and do the patrol on her own. That would be fine, right? 

Marinette was sleeping, Tikki nestled in the crook of her arm while her dreams played out. She was with Cat Noir on a Ferris wheel, gazing adoringly at him while he described the girl of his dreams. “Someone strong, someone powerful, who never lets anything stop her from her destiny,” Cat Noir said, ticking each one off on his fingers. 

“That sounds just like me,” Marinette said dreamily. Cat Noir smiled at her. 

“I know. That’s because you’re talking to me, milady, right? But I don’t love you anymore. I love the other girl now, the one I haven’t noticed until now. You don’t need me, though. You have your Adrien.”

“Wait, what?” Marinette blinked. “Adrien?”

“How about that thank-you kiss now?” Chat Noir suggested. He was holding her hands in his, looking at her like she was the only person in the world. Marinette blushed, although she shouldn’t be, because Adrien was the only person who could fluster her that badly. 

“Chaton, I love someone else.”

“I don’t mind when you lie.” Chat Noir looked down at their intertwined hands. “I just don’t like that lie in particular. I thought you loved me.”

“I--I--” Marinette scrambled for the words. “I don’t--I mean, I do--”

“Just say what you want, milady,” her Chaton told her, “and I will make it come true.”

The words came out, just as she had wished them to do, but in all the wrong order. “Kiss--I want--me to--you-no, wait!” Marinette stuttered to a halt. Why couldn’t she just say it?

Chat Noir leaned in. “I’m your true love, aren’t I? Not Adrien?”

“I-” Marinette was just about to kiss him, his lips brushing hers featherlightly, when she woke up with a sudden jerk of the Ferris wheel. 

Her bed had been the one shaking, and Alya was bouncing up and down on it, her phone in her hand as her arm flew through the air. “Wake up, girl! Adrien’s having a birthday party, and we’re all invited!”

Marinette bolted upright. “Really?”

“Yes!” Alya nodded rapidly. “Today’s the day, right?”

“Right.” Marinette pounded her fist into her palm. “I’m going to do it or die!”

In the row of shops along the river, Marinette found the perfect dress. It was cream-colored, with a scalloped hem and a row of small milky buttons down the front, with a ripple of pink lace on the sleeves and neckline. It would go perfectly with her pink and white dotted ballet flats, and she was almost floating with happiness. 

“You look amazing,” Alya told her. “Adrien won’t be able to take his eyes off you!”

Marinette giggled. “Well, I hope he does, otherwise he’ll miss his own birthday party if he’s looking at me the whole time.”

“Just take deep breaths,” her friend advised. “I’ll be there if you need me, okay? Let’s go back to the bakery so you can get changed. Nino is coming to pick me up at seven, so you can walk with us.”

“Okay,” Marinette agreed. That left plenty of time to make the cupcakes and decorate them as best she could.

Adrien’s presents were boxed up and wrapped with a blue ribbon, Marinette’s favorite shade of blue. She’d made him a variety of macarons, as well as a poem she’d written for him, and the earrings he’d admired during his and Juleka’s photoshoot modeling her clothes. They’d match perfectly with his eyes, Marinette thought. Only one thing left to do. 

Later that afternoon, in the bakery kitchen, Marinette pulled the cupcakes out of the oven. They were strawberry with vanilla frosting, and she arranged them on a tray. Each cupcake received a strawberry-icing letter, and the very center cupcake got a red heart outline. Completed, it read _je t’aime._ She hoped it would be enough to say what she hadn’t been able to for the last year. 

But at the party, she was met with disaster. 

Adrien’s garden, where the party was taking place, had been transformed from a simple flower garden to a beautiful evening setting. Fairy lights twinkled from the rose bushes and twined through the trees, and white-clothed tables were set up, along with wrought-iron chairs. A space had been cleared in the middle of the garden, and there was a band setting up to play through the night just behind the dance floor. Marinette took in everything with a smile, although her stomach felt rocky. _You can do it. You’re Ladybug. Chat Noir knows you can. So do you._

The moment Alya and Nino left her side, Marinette put the cupcakes down on the nearest table, for fear of dropping them. Not only had she forgotten the present for Adrien in her hurry to get changed and clean up the kitchen, she’d forgotten everything she’d practiced with Chat Noir last night. 

“Marinette, come on! Adrien’s over here,” Alya called. When Marinette turned back around, the platter was empty, and the cupcakes were in the hands of her classmates who had been invited.

“Oh no!” Marinette searched for even a single letter, but they were gone. The only one left was the heart-outlined cupcake. She put it on a plate and gripped it tightly. It would have to do.

But her heart was beating too quickly. “I can’t do this.”

“I told Adrien you had something important to tell him,” Alya said, reappearing at her side. “Come on, girl. I believe in you.”

“I can’t,” Marinette whispered. She looked down at her solitary cupcake. “I can’t tell him like this.”

“Adrien hates liars,” Alya reminded Marinette. “If you back out now and make something up, he’s bound to turn you down if you ever do confess.”

Marinette looked down at the lone cupcake on her plate, frosted in pink with a red heart outlined on it. “I have to do this.” Remember what Chat Noir told you to do, she reminded herself, even as she walked through the crowd, her heart pounding harder with each step. _Pretend you’re talking to your Chaton, Marinette! This is it._

Adrien was at the back of the garden, surrounded by a group of friends. Marinette hadn’t taken but one step further before she was waylaid.

“Marinette! So good to see you here!” A familiar voice, sugary sweet and laced with venom, was next to her ear. Marinette forced a smile.

“Good to see you too, Lila.”

Lila Rossi, outfitted in a gold dress that matched the gold eyeliner around her chilly green eyes, materialized next to Marinette with a poisonously sweet smile. “Ooh, who’s that for?” She stabbed a metallic fingernail at the lone cupcake Marinette held in her hands like it was a lifeline. “It’s...cute.” _Cute_ sounded more like _childish,_ in Lila’s tone _,_ and Marinette’s cheeks burned. 

“It’s for Adrien,” Marinette said. “I made it for his birthday.”

“How adorable,” Lila cooed. “Are you going to tell him how you feel?”

“What does it matter to you?” Marinette said defensively. She still hadn’t forgotten Lila promising to make Marinette’s life as awful as could be, as well as vowing to make Adrien hers. 

“Are you going to make me go away?” Lila’s eyes were wide. “That would go badly for you.”

“Lila, I don’t want to get into it,” Marinette said. 

“When you decided to go for Adrien, you chose to get into it,” Lila snapped. She lunged, and Marinette flinched away. Lila, however, hadn’t been aiming for her, but for the plate, which was tight in Marinette’s white-knuckled grip. The cupcake, aided by Lila’s snatch, tumbled off the plate and hit the perfectly manicured green grass of the garden. “Oh no!” Marinette cried.

“Oops.” Lila’s green eyes were narrowed at the cupcake, now splattered on the ground. Without further ado, she raised the heel of her gold sandal and crushed it flat, and Marinette let out a small gasp. “That’s too bad,” Lila said in an undertone. “Adrien won’t get his cupcake now, will he?”

Marinette was ready to turn and run when Rose trotted up to them, Juleka in tow. “What happened, Marinette?”

“It’s her cupcake,” Lila said, her eyes teary--how did she do that so fast?. “She dropped it.”

“Oh no!” Rose’s big eyes got even bigger. “You mean the one you made especially for Adrien?”

“It’s okay,” Marinette said, although tears were threatening. “I can make more.”

“Totally!” Lila put her arm around Marinette’s shoulders. “I’m friends with the most famous pastry chef in all of France--if yours don’t work out I’m sure he can do me a favor, especially for a good friend like Marinette!”

Marinette shrugged her off and stormed away through the crowd. She could confess without a cupcake. Right?

Chat Noir kept popping up in her thoughts. “I’ll always be here for you, milady,” he would say if he were here. Marinette smiled, thinking about that. The next time she saw him, as Ladybug, she’d be sure to tell him how much he meant to her. 

She reached Adrien, and the crowd around them dispersed, save for a few odd classmates of theirs. “Hi, Marinette,” Adrien said with a smile. “Alya said you had something to tell me?”

“Happy birthday,” Marinette said with a little bounce. “I’m super sorry, but I forgot your present in my rush to get here. I’ll give it to you later on.”

“Cool.” Adrien’s green eyes sparkled in a way that reminded her of Chat Noir’s mischievously sweet smile. _I really have to stop thinking about him in important situations._

“I also had a cupcake for you, but it met an untimely fate,” Marinette said. “I’m sorry about that.”

“I’m just happy you thought of me.” Adrien took her hand in his, and she focused on keeping her head level, even though she was perfectly calm. Now was not the time to panic.

“I had something to tell you.”

Adrien waited as Marinette tried to force out the words. “Adrien, I’ve always had a cr-”

_Splash!_

Marinette shrieked as cold wetness hit her, soaking through the chest and skirt of her white dress. Lila’s hand was extended, an upended cup in her hand, and the grape juice that had inhabited it was now staining Marinette’s new dress, most likely permanently. 

“Oh no, Marinette!” Lila gasped. “I am so, so sorry! Your pretty dress!”

“You-you did that on purpose!” Marinette snatched a stack of napkins from the nearest table and tried to get some of the juice off her skirts. Adrien took a napkin from her hand and wrung out her hem, grape juice dripping onto the ground in a trickle of purple. Why wasn’t he accusing Lila? There was no chance that that had been a coincidence. Lila had intentionally interrupted Marinette’s confession to Adrien, and there was no way of salvaging the moment.

Marinette took a deep breath. This was for the best, actually. Now she could go home and get her present for Adrien as well as change her clothes. “It’s okay, Lila. I’m sure it was an _accident.”_ Adrien stiffened next to her. It was obvious he’d heard her emphasis on the word ‘accident’, but Marinette didn’t want to ruin his party by exposing Lila for her act of jealousy. “I’m going to go.” She turned and made her way back through the crowd of her classmates and headed towards the gate to leave. 

“Marinette, wait.” It was Adrien. She stopped to allow him to catch up to her. “I’m sorry about that--I don’t know why Lila did that.”

“It’s fine,” Marinette said. “I’m going to go home and change my clothes. I’ll send you your present later.”

“You’re not going to come back?” Adrien’s smile vanished. “Is it something I did?”

“No…” Marinette trailed off. It was more of what he hadn’t done. “It’s really fine. Enjoy your birthday, Adrien.” She waved, and after a beat, he waved back, although the puzzlement and hurt didn’t leave his face. 

It was only after she’d left that she realized she hadn’t stuttered. Not even once.

She’d made her way almost to the bakery when she remembered Tikki, still inside her purse. She unzipped it to see the kwami munching on a broken macaron, perfectly fine. “Marinette!” Tikki zipped out of the purse and bounced onto Marinette’s shoulder. “Did you tell Adrien?”

“I didn’t get the chance, because Lila threw her juice on my dress to stop me.” Marinette held out her skirts ruefully. “Oh well. Besides, I’m starting to realize that Chat Noir was right. Not everyone is as perfect as they seem.”

“Not even Adrien?” Tikki said slyly.

Marinette shook her head. “Not even him.” He hadn’t even said anything to Lila about the juice. Not only that incident, but just...everything. How she could have been so blind to the faults that Adrien possessed. The way Marinette had painted him earlier had been perfect. Not a single flaw or fault. 

“Everyone has their traits,” Tikki said as if in answer to her thoughts. “Not all of them are revealed early on. You might as well transform now, and survey the city before you go to bed.”

“Good idea,” Marinette told the little kwami. “And as Ladybug, I can bring Adrien his present a lot faster. Tikki, spots on!”

Ladybug swung by the bakery to dive in through the window of her bedroom. Adrien’s present still rested on the shelf she’d left it on, pristine and perfect. She picked it up gently and left the house quietly, so as not to disturb her parents in the bakery downstairs. 

The party was still going strong as she leapt from awning to lamppost to rooftop to make her way to the Agreste house. 

As Ladybug pushed open the gate, heads turned and the noise level of the crowd ratcheted up a notch to reach even higher volumes. Cameras snapped and lights flashed as people pulled out phones to snap a picture of her. Ladybug tried to smile in everyone’s direction, but even that proved difficult as they pressed in on all sides.

“Ladybug!” Lila made her way through the crowd to throw her arms around her. “I’m so glad my BFF could make it as a surprise to Adrien!” She hooked Ladybug’s arm as Adrien approached them, a quizzical smile on his face.

“Ladybug?”

“Hi,” Ladybug said. “I just came to drop this off for your friend Marinette. She never got to give this to you.” She pushed the wrapped box that contained the macarons, the poem, and the earrings into Adrien’s hands. “That’s it! Uh, bye!”

“Wait.” Adrien put a hand on her arm, stopping her. “If you see Marinette again--tell her I’m sorry. And that it’s okay if we both know the truth, right?”

He had said that to her once before, when Lila had lied about being Ladybug’s best friend right after she’d been akumatized into Chameleon. Marinette had agreed and decided not to expose Lila for Adrien’s sake that time. But this was not a new occurrence. Once again Lila had been the source of pain for Marinette, and Adrien had asked Marinette to protect Lila. 

_Adrien hates liars,_ Alya had told her an hour ago. Apparently, he could let Lila’s lies slide, but not anyone else’s? Ladybug’s heart was splintering, and looking back at Adrien was crushing it further. _I loved you for so long, only to realize you’re not as wonderful as I thought you were. You’re not that kind of person at all._

“Who are you, Adrien?” Without realizing it, Ladybug had said it aloud. Adrien looked confused.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“I thought I loved you,” Ladybug whispered, and then she turned and left. Marinette didn’t need to be here, and neither did she. 

It was dark, late at night, and Marinette was running through the streets in her ruined, juice-stained dress, having changed back from Ladybug. Chat Noir would be at his previous engagement, so she was safe from prying questions. But what she needed right now was her Chaton. If she no longer loved Adrien, where did that leave her? Marinette felt unanchored, drifting away into an ocean of confusion and tangled heartstrings, _Cendrillon_ escaping the ball and prince. Tikki zipped along beside her, calling out “Marinette, wait!” but Marinette only sprinted faster. Her flats were slapping against the cobblestones, and she finally slowed to a stop at the Eiffel tower, panting. A group of Japanese tourists were taking the elevators up to the observation deck, and Marinette slid in among them and rode up to the top. 

The wind ruffled her hair as she leaned over the side and looked out into the night for what seemed like an eternity. The voices and footsteps and clicking camera shutters faded away and the tourists retreated, and Marinette was alone. A security guard placed a hand on her shoulder.

“We’re closing soon, mademoiselle. Go back down the elevators.”

“I will in a moment,” Marinette said. “Please.”

“That’s fine. Is all well?” When she didn’t answer, he backed away, leaving her to her silence and confusion. All was not well. If Chat Noir loved another girl, but she loved him, they were once again at an impasse. For once, she understood how he felt. The pain of knowing that the person you wanted was chasing another--it was great and horrible.

“I should have paid more attention to you, Chaton,” she whispered. “I should never have turned you down, but I was stupid.”

“Marinette!” Tikki was impatient in her ear, and this time Marinette listened. “Chat Noir is on his way up here--I ran into his kwami, who was trying to warn us to change before he sees your identity!”

“Plagg told you that? Wait, why is Chat Noir coming?” Marinette whirled, but saw no one making their way up the tower. “Did I do something wrong?”

“Not that I know of. I think he was searching for you beforehand, but I’m not sure. Hurry, Marinette!”

“Alright. I’m going to have to talk to him eventually, one way or another, so I might as well do it now,” Marinette said determinedly. “I’m not going to waste any more time telling him how I feel. Tikki, spots on!”

And so it was that Ladybug and Chat Noir met on the observation deck. Chat Noir prowled towards her, his expression guarded. “Milady. I was able to slip away from my engagement.”

“I...” Ladybug took a deep breath. It was hard to take in air when this moment that had been so long in coming was fast approaching. “I-I have something to tell you.”

“So do I. But you can go first,” Chat Noir said. He was unusually serious, his face closed off and expressionless.

“Chaton, why do you look like that?” Ladybug placed a hand on his cheek. “I-I, your--I want your smile. N-not this.”

“You said the boy you love was careful to keep his feelings hidden. And I wouldn’t want to push anything on you.” Chat Noir’s tone was blank, but the words bit in deep all the same. She dropped her hand and backed away. If she remained touching him, she wouldn’t be able to focus. 

“I just wanted you to know that I finally understand how you feel,” Ladybug began.

“No, you don’t,” he snapped.

“Why do you get upset so quickly?” Ladybug gripped the railing of the tower, afraid she would reach out and touch him if she didn’t. “I just mean-I meant that I understood how you felt when you said you hated chasing someone who loved another.”

“How could you?” Chat Noir asked, 

“Because I love you, Chaton!”

Then she bolted.

She didn’t see him for a week. Hawk Moth sent simple Akumas, almost as if he knew how painfully tired the heroes of Paris were. If she ever met him, Marinette would have to remember to thank him. The thought was almost funny, except for how bone-tired and sick she felt. Her worried parents threatened to call the doctor, take her to the hospital, even have her examined mentally, but Marinette took refuge under her covers in her room and didn’t answer her phone nor the knocks on the door from her confused and worried friends.

It was too hard to think about anything but sleep, to hug her pillow and drift away into safe ocean shores of dreams. Occasionally she would turn on the TV and see that there were frantic reports of Ladybug’s missing status, and the video feed from Chat Noir and Ladybug’s earlier akuma run-ins. Chat Noir had not appeared in public except when an Akuma attacked, and even then he only dispatched it with no damages and then vanished again. 

Marinette supposed it was her fault, but she was too tired to really care. Was Ladybug really necessary? The citizens of Paris would panic for a bit, but then they’d realize that she wasn’t coming back. Master Fu could always make another Miraculous superhero to take her place, if all else failed. Not even Chat Noir needed her. 

_He’s probably going on dates with Kagami,_ Marinette thought to herself, and then tortured herself with imagined scenarios. _Chat Noir and her eating ice cream….strolling along the riverside….going to shops...buying macarons from my bakery--_

That thought alone made her sit up. If they ever did, she would kick him out--no, she would yell at him, or smack him with the nearest baking pan, or--

“I can’t do any of that. Not to my Chaton,” Marinette acknowledged. “No way.” Then she let out an _“Ugh”_ and flopped back down under the covers, flipping on the TV. It was after eight at night, and her parents had taken away her uneaten dinner.

“Marinette?” It was her mother, knocking on her bedroom door. “Are you awake?” 

“No,” Marinette called back. 

“Your teacher called. You have missing work, _chere_ , can you please come and do it? Alya dropped off all your assignments!”

“I’ll do it tomorrow!” Not if she had a choice, she wouldn’t.

Ladybug was the one to slip out the window, Marinette having transformed in her bathroom with the window shuttered. If the last week had been any indication, she needed to be at her best from now on. It didn’t matter if she thought Paris would be fine without her--it was her destiny to be a superhero, and trouble was always looking for an opportunity to strike.

Nothing came, unless she counted a certain cat that had been following her for half an hour now. 

In an alleyway, she stopped. “Come down.”

Soft footsteps hit the wall and then landed on the ground beside her. “How long has it been obvious?’

“I knew you were there the entire time,” Ladybug said.

Chat Noir sighed. “I’m not good at hiding from you, milady. That’s my fatal flaw.”

“I didn’t come back for you, though.”

“No, you came back because being Ladybug is what you want. Nothing else matters, does it?”

“That’s not true. Not even a little bit.” Ladybug started to walk out the alleyway. It was obvious she wouldn’t win this one.

“Please, milady. Don’t run away this time.” 

She turned back. It was almost frightening how fast her feelings surged up, ruling her movements. Civilian Marinette was long gone, but her hurt and love remained. Ladybug was the one who had to see this through, though.

Chat Noir’s expression was pained, so vulnerable it hurt to look at him. This time, he wasn’t lightening the situation with a well-timed joke or outstretched hand in which a flower rested. It was all emotions, and if this continued, Ladybug would be the one to fall for him. But then again, she already had. “I just want to know if you meant it. Were you telling the truth, when you said you loved me? Did you truly mean it?” 

Ladybug turned away to hide the tears that were spilling over. “I c-can’t, Chaton.”

“You can’t what? Tell me the truth, Ladybug.” He took her hands, just like he had done in her dream about them on the Ferris wheel. Except that she was not that girl he loved now, and Marinette no longer loved Adrien. “Please.”

There was no Alya, no supportive group to help her now, when it mattered most. When she needed other people to lift her up, in case she fell. _That’s your worst trait, milady. You put others before yourself too much. It’s okay to be selfish, just once in a while,_ Chat Noir had told her a long time ago. Maybe it was okay for this once, to be selfish. “Chaton, I...”

She was crushing him with the weight of _no._ Ladybug saw it in his face, the way he would say, _next time you’ll fall for me, milady._ Then he’d smile, the way he always did, but it wouldn’t reach his eyes, and there would be no next time. She needed that next time. The promise of tomorrow, that was her Chaton, who was always and would always be there for her. Loyal to the very last breath. 

“I love you.” 

Ladybug wasn’t sure if he’d heard her, so quietly had she breathed the words into the Paris night, because he was silent, his back to her, so silent she was sure he hadn’t heard her say it. Behind him, she reached up her hand to touch the side of his face, to say one last thing before he left. Her fingers brushed his mouth, which was turned upwards in a smile, his lips soft against her gloves. He took her hand and held it to his mouth for a long moment before letting go. “I have to go, milady.”

“You’re leaving? After--”

“If I don’t leave now, I’ll never be able to.” Without looking back, he jumped off the roof, and she had a mere second to call out-

“Chaton!”

Chat Noir vanished into the darkness, his staff sliding out to bridge the gap between alleyways. His final sentence still hung in the air. “I love you too, milady.”

End Chapter One.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, we made it to the end!  
> If you liked it, tell me.  
> If you hated it, tell me.  
> If you think I need to fix something, TELL ME. I want to grow as a writer and a person and put the best possible material out here for public consumption.


End file.
